Welcome to Common Gunsense

I hope this blog will provoke some thoughtful reflection about the issue of guns and gun violence. I am passionate about the issue and would love to change some misperceptions and the culture of gun violence in America by sharing with readers words, photos, videos and clips from articles to promote common sense about gun issues. Many of you will agree with me- some will not. I am only one person but one among many who think it's time to do something about this national problem. The views expressed by me in this blog do not represent any group with which I am associated but are rather my own personal opinions and thoughts.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, May 31, 2013

Yesterday I wrote a post about the ramped up rhetoric of the gun rights extremists leading to potential actual danger to individuals and the public. The post was prompted by the discovery of letters containing ricin received by NY City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, President Obama and the offices of Mayors Against Illegal Guns. The words in the letters were chilling:

""You will have to kill me and my family before you get my guns. Anyone wants to come to my house will get shot in the face. The right to bear arms is my constitutional God given right and I will exercise that right till the day I die.""

Since this news was first released many in the media are talking about the ricin laced letters sent to Mayor Bloomberg, President Obama and the office of Mayors Against Illegal Guns. Below is one of the commentaries about this kind of hate talk and actions:

Did you listen to the paranoid hyperbole uttered by NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre and NRA Board member Ted Nugent in these videos? What do we think about an organization that promotes this kind of insurrection against the government and promotes hatred of President Obama? When Wayne LaPierre famously says that "the guys with the guns make the rules" what does that mean in this context? Let's hear him say it again in the video below:

Again, what does LaPierre mean by that statement? I believe we have a right to know. Not only does the corporate gun lobby resist any and all attempts to pass reasonable gun laws, they make sure that there is a free-for-all for the gun industry and now even home-made guns. Their own provocative words promote a culture of fear and violence that should not be tolerated by any of us. The fact that it is should be alarming to us all. Check out this article for more on home-made guns. This is pretty scary stuff. Not only will we not pass a law requiring background checks on all gun sales, we are making it possible to make guns at home that would, of course, require no background checks and no monitoring of the guns themselves. Enough is enough. Who will step forward from the gun rights side to take some responsibility to address a situation that seems to be spiraling out of control? Which lawmakers will step up and say what needs to be said about a gun culture gone wrong? Many of us will be watching and waiting for that to happen. And unless and until it does, we can expect more of this threatening and dangerous talk and perhaps even one or two violent incidents that could result in the death of innocent people. The lunatic fringe and insurrectionists cannot be left to determine our public safety policy in America.Where is common sense?
UPDATE:

Undaunted by facts and unable to kill the treaty before it passed at the United Nations, despite its best efforts, the NRA now is attempting to shut down its passage in the Senate. As with all treaties, a two-thirds majority is required to ratify the ATT. “Your signed petition is the best tool we have against this attack on our gun rights and our national sovereignty,” the message declares, urging people to sign on to help “line the halls of the Senate with boxes and boxes of these petitions.”

The NRA is asking for “emergency contributions” from petition-signers. “This year, we’ve been forced to spend more than we’ve ever spent … because the attacks we’re facing have been bigger than anything we’ve ever faced before,” the email pleads, seeming to use the time-tested tactic of exploiting fear to raise money.

Unfortunately, the NRA’s messaging already seems to have permeated Washington, with prominent conservatives such as John Yoo and John Bolton penning op-eds unfairly condemning the treaty’s provisions. Senate Republicans are already lining up to condemn the treaty based on the same false pretenses as the NRA. Some members of the GOP are even warning that the treaty will lead to a Rwanda-like genocide. In spite of this opposition, the Obama administration has already made clear that it does intend to sign the treaty once it opens for signature.

Attacks? Really? Come on. Their logic is becoming more twisted and desperate. The very idea that the NRA needs money is insane. They are one of the most well funded lobby groups in the country. And this nonsense is contributing to the culture that is spawning letter writers to send ricin and threats to elected leaders. We are better than this.

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